Next, you'll need a 3D modeling program. I use the open source Misfit Model 3D because it preserves some coordinates and whatnot that seem to get dropped from other, more capable programs, such as 3D Studio Max (from what I hear from other modders; I have no experience with 3DS): http://www.misfitcode.com/misfitmodel3d/download.html

Once you have your tools, open the SF4 Asset Explorer and click 'Load file...'

Now, navigate to the costume file you wish to edit:

Click on the plus signs next to the path and the first entry marked "#EMB ([***]_01.obj.emo):

If you click on a model element, it will isolate it from the overall character model, like so:

Now, right-click on the element's name and select "Extract file...":

Name it something informative and give it the extension ".obj":

Next, open the file using Misfit Model 3D:

From here, you can move around vertices as much as you want, but you CANNOT add new ones or remove any. The number must stay EXACTLY THE SAME or you cannot re-inject it back into the model:

After you're finished editing, save the file and uncheck the option to "Save normals" (actually, I don't think this matters):

Now, back in the SF4 Assets Explorer, select and right click on the element you edited and choose "Inject file...":

Select your edited model and click "Open":

Now, when you refresh the model in the Asset Viewer, you will see your edits have taken effect:

The program will automatically create backups whenever you inject models, which is nice, but you should still be careful about overwriting because there is no "Undo." This edited model should now be ready to drop into your C:\Program Files\CAPCOM\STREETFIGHTERIV\Battle\Chara\*** folder to replace your old costume file.

42 comments:

@JuanIf you're using Windows Vista or Win7, you might need to set the compatibility to 'Run as Administrator' because it will need administrator rights to modify your program's files. If you continue having problems, try also setting it to use Windows XP compatibility mode (though this should not be necessary).

Though i have a little problem when running SFIV, i can't see the menu :S all i see is a Black Screen, sound is on and i can hear when i'm selecting the optins on the menu, but it doesn't show anything :?

Hunter, thanks so much for this beginner's guide! I am planning to try and make my own editing now, hopefully i can make good ones :)

Some questions in regards to using misfit...if you dont mind? How do i rotate the wire frame model? Is it set to front and back only? its such a headache trying to select only the front or back vertices....Also, is there a way to set the 3D view back to its original position?

Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a way to rotate the wireframe models that I can see. You're right that this does make it a real hassle to select individual vertices. I would recommend just zooming in very close and then using the other perspectives to ensure you've selected the correct one(s). Also, I don't know of any way to return the rendered window to its original location, other than just saving, exiting and reopening. All in all, Misfit is a pretty cludgy program, but we make do with what we have :/

I will say, though, that I just learned of some pro-quality programs that will work with SF4 (I'm planning to write an advanced model editing tutorial using these tools in the near future): SoftImage for the actual model editing and ZBrush for making normalmaps (which weren't covered in this tutorial but can really make or break some mods).

I imagine these programs include some of the tools you've asked about, though the learning curve will be much steeper than with the comparably simple Misfit3D.

@D4rknezzI'm not entirely sure I follow, but I think you're describing what is known as a 'normalmap.' It's an image file (in this case a DDS) that is applied to the model that fine-tunes the contours of the model (some people refer to editing the normalmap as 'sculpting,' which is a pretty apt description of how it works).

SF4 actually uses pretty simple models, as I'm sure you've discovered. It's the normalmap that adds most of the details, such as clothing wrinkles, muscle ripples, etc. The dark areas are rendered as recessed into the overall model, while the light areas are rendered as raised.

Here's a great tutorial for making a normalmap from scratch in GIMP:http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/GIMP:_Quality_Normal_Maps

thanks hunter! :) will check it out. I actually got myself a book on zbrush yesterday. Now need to sit down with it. I had always wanted to get into 3D but Maya had started out too daunting. Zbrush looks a lot more friendly :) cheers

Hey guys, I know this hasn't been commented on in a while, but on the current version of Misfit you can rotate the wireframe views by holding ctrl then click dragging with the left mouse button. There's also a dropdown menu in the up left of each viewport that lets you select to rest the camera to various positions.

I tried using it but misfit doesn't allow me to modify anything in the object =/

I wanted to make a more realistically fat Rufus, actually even a make him a little fatter, instead of the weird ball shaped rufus, perhaps you could help me with that if you ever feel like it, hunter?I used that buff rufus model you did, and it was amazing!

I was trying to use this video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hraqahxisg&has_verified=1 ) as reference, Iwas going to make rufus with a dropping belly ( closer to his knees, covering his crotch ) and all, but misfit simply doesnt allow me to mess with it

me and some more fans of rufus would be really grateful if you could help with that, doesn't matter how long it takes.thank you very much

Hello Hunter. Sorry bout late response, been scouring the internet tryin to teach myself how to mod.By add or remove I mean, maybe I want to remove M.Bison's cap and shoulder guards, or maybe I want to import them onto a new character.Do you have or know of a tutorial that can show me how to do thisThank you

Hey, no worries. To remove something from an existing costume, the easiest thing to do is just open the EMO in piecemontee's Asset Explorer and toggle the visibility of the object to 'OFF.' You have to be careful, though, because there's not always body parts where you expect them to be, and making things invisible can sometimes leave unexpected holes.

To swap things around, use sloth86's tools. There's a tutorial to get you started here: http://filthypants.blogspot.com/2011/08/intermediate-guide-to-sf4-emg-model.html

Hey Hunter, got a question, how come the nude models are missing parts in other words i see triangles all over the model like as if its missing a piece when loaded into SFexplorer?I wanted to edit them but the models look like they have triangular cuts in them but most of the model is intact. Any ideas how to fix this?

@DarkSF4Capcom did that to conserve resources. There wouldn't be any point in rendering geometry that no player would ever see.

To fix that, you can move the vertices like in this post's tutorial to close the gap (good for small things; this is the simplest solution), though this will stretch the DDS texture and look weird on large areas. Or, you could swap in a complete body part from another costume/character using sloth86's EMGSwap tool (more advanced solution). Or, you could rig in a totally new model in Blender using sloth86's SMD tools (most advanced solution).

Sorry for the noob question but, would anyone be able to tell me how to move the model around in piecemontee's viewer? I don't mean zoom or rotate but, actually move so that I can zoom in on other parts?

Hi Anon,If you use the updated version from the link at the top of the page, you can drag around using the middle mouse button (mouse-wheel click on my machine). Be aware that this version defaults to console/big-endian mode, so you'll need to change that to PC/little-endian (via the File menu) before you load any files.

Hello Hunter K. thanks for this guide i was totally lost about this kind of files, i have two question to ask you if you don't mind; first, how can i export the model with bones or rigged in order to use it in pmd editor, second, when i extract the model it is saved but also with the items that are turned OFF, so i want to know how can i extract only the visible, thanks and my best regards.

Incredible guide, I was able to edit the models easily without having any experience with 3d modeling before. However, I want to change the size of a few characters, which I have tried through scaling them on misfitmodel3d. I scaled each part of makoto's model to 1.4, and while it looked OK on the preview, ingame the model is completely bugged (hands, feet stretched, eyes completely inside the head). Apparently, the reason this happened is because the bones glitch out when you scale the model parts. So, I want to know if there is any way to scale up characters without glitching their skeletons, and maybe find a way to reposition them to be over the stage ground when they're resized (normally they're going to be clipping inside the ground). Thanks a lot in advance.